The Acres Independent School

Inspection of South Park Enterprise College (11-19) Newdown Court, Newdown Road, South Park Industrial Estate, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire DN17 2TX

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a small school, where pupils often join at times other than the start of the school term. Pupils are generally happy in school, and most feel that staff work hard to support them. The longer that pupils have been at school, the more regular their attendance. School staff work closely with families and pupils in order to help them to increase their attendance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has recently appointed a new headteacher and several other staff. Pupils who attend all have a diagnosis of social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. Many have found these changes difficult and unsettling. This has affected the calm atmosphere in school. There are times when behaviour is not good enough and everyone, including pupils, knows that this needs to improve.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils told inspectors that they feel safe and know whom to turn to if they have a problem. Pupils say bullying happened a lot in the past. However, pupils now feel that staff will take action and that bullying will stop.

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better?

High staff turnover, including three headteachers in the past eighteen months, has negatively affected pupils’ behaviour. The new leadership team has brought stability to the school against a backdrop of change. However, leaders recognise that the school is still on a journey and that much remains to be done to improve pupils’ attitudes to learning.

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better?

Current school leaders know what improvements need to be made. They have raised expectations of both staff and pupils. Plans show leaders have identified most of the key priorities. However, they have not acted with sufficient speed at times. This has slowed the rate of improvement overall.

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better?

Leaders have key responsibilities. For example, the most recently appointed assistant headteacher is focusing on improving pupils’ behaviour. He has already started to make an impact by ensuring pupils hand in their mobile phones at the start of the day so that they are not distracted in class. Other plans include developing a clear set of consequences for pupils’ actions. However, there has not been sufficient time to implement many of these planned actions.

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better?

The headteacher has refocused the school. Previously, the school population mostly comprised of key stage 4 pupils who followed a vocational curriculum. The majority of pupils are now in key stage 3. A more academic curriculum is now in place, which enables pupils to study for a wider range of qualifications. This has accelerated the number of staff changes as specialist teachers have been put in place to teach key subjects. Those who are very new to post are taking time to get to know pupils. This has led to an increase in difficult behaviour. Staff confirmed that school is often a calm place now. This shows that things are improving slowly. The curriculum is now 10 to 12 May 2022 planned by knowledgeable staff and pupils are beginning to recognise the importance of learning for their future.

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better?

The impact of suspensions from school and long-term absence mean many pupils arrive with gaps in their learning. Not all are confident readers. English leaders have recognised this but have not addressed it with sufficient urgency. Plans are in place for the reintroduction of a phonics programme. However, due to the recent staff changes, training for new staff is needed before this can happen.

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better?

The maximum number of pupils in any one class is four. This small pupil-to-staff ratio helps teachers to assess how much pupils know and understand. This information is used to plan further learning for pupils in most classrooms. However, staff agree that assessment is not consistent in every subject area.

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better?

Leaders are successful in preparing pupils for the next stages of their education or training. For example, last year’s Year 11 pupils left school with a range of qualifications, including GCSEs in English and mathematics. Pupils also attained well in vocational subjects, such as horticulture and home cooking. Recent checks carried out by staff on last year’s leavers show that of the 11 pupils, the vast majority remain in education or training and one now has paid employment.

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better?

Personal, social and health education (PSHE) and citizenship are taught as separate subjects. In both subjects, leaders are starting to provide pupils with a more rounded view of the world. The school is currently working with The Proud Trust, which offers support to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) young people. The school recently gained partial accreditation as a ‘proud school’. However, staff recognise more needs to be done to ensure pupils recognise the importance of respecting all groups represented by the Equality Act 2010.

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better?

The school’s relationships and sex education (RSE) curriculum helps pupils to learn age-appropriate content, such as contraception and consent. It also ensures that pupils are clear about what constitutes sexual harassment and know how to recognise ‘red flags’ in relationships.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The school has its safeguarding policy published on its website. The policy meets the requirements of current legislation.

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Safeguarding

The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) for the school is the headteacher. There are two trained deputy DSLs. This ensures there is always a DSL available in school. The DSLs are aware that pupils have extra vulnerabilities and ensure they receive the care and support they need by working closely with relevant agencies.

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Safeguarding

Records show that the deputy DSL meticulously contacts pupils’ previous schools to ensure that relevant support is put in place ahead of a pupil joining the school. 10 to 12 May 2022 Leaders who are involved in school recruitment have undertaken safer recruitment training and are clear about which checks to undertake before new staff join the school. They are also clear about the actions they need to take should a concern be raised.

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Safeguarding

The RSE curriculum is delivered to all pupils. Information on sexual harassment, sexual violence and online abuse is included. Teaching is sensitively delivered and is tailored to the needs of all pupils.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The school does not have a consistent approach to the teaching of reading. Not all staff are trained in how to teach reading. This hampers pupils’ progress across the curriculum. As a matter of urgency, leaders should ensure that staff training is delivered so that a high-quality reading curriculum is in place for all pupils and that pupils’ reading skills improve.  Currently, staff use a variety of different approaches when dealing with pupils in crisis. This can lead to an escalation in pupils’ difficult behaviour, which then disturbs other pupils, which disrupts learning. A clear protocol needs to be adopted across the school which enables staff to understand the correct course of action to be taken when dealing with pupils’ dysregulated behaviour.  The use of assessment is not consistent across the school. Staff do not regularly check what pupils do and do not know. They cannot identify gaps in pupils’

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

knowledge effectively. Curriculum leaders need to review the use of assessment so it identifies specific gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Teachers need to use this information to plan what needs to be taught next.  Leaders have taken some recent action to improve pupils’ understanding of the wider world and specifically the groups protected by the Equality Act 2010. However, the content of the PSHE curriculum is not sufficiently broad. Pupils do not develop an understanding of the need to respect others of different faiths, religions and sexual orientation. Plans are in place, but these are at an early stage of being implemented. Leaders need to review the curriculum to ensure that pupils have every opportunity to learn about the wider world.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. If you are the provider and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 10 to 12 May 2022

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £42,000 to £62,000

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School details

Email address mark.panting@keys-group.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 to 17 May 2018 10 to 12 May 2022

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the school has had three changes of headteacher in a year. The school has also introduced a more academic curriculum for key stage 3 pupils.  The school currently uses three unregistered alternative providers: Hackberry (alternative provision); Changing Lives (therapeutic support); and AP Hall Farm Eastoft.  The school caters for the needs of pupils who have a diagnosis of SEMH needs. Some pupils have additional needs to this, including autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.  The school is operating within its registration agreed with the Department for Education.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Information about this inspection

The school has failed to meet the independent school standards. These are the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team met with the headteacher, the assistant headteachers, the company’s regional manager responsible for the school and the company’s managing director of education.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, geography and PSHE. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some teachers, spoke to a group of pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders in other subject areas. Inspectors also toured the building to gather evidence for part 5 of the independent school standards and met with the PSHE coordinator about RSE education.  The inspectors checked the single central record and met with the DSL to discuss the school’s safeguarding provision. Individual pupils’ safeguarding records were looked at to check the quality of safeguarding practice in the school.

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Inspection team

Marian Thomas, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Debbie Redshaw Her Majesty’s Inspector 10 to 12 May 2022

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school- – 3(g) demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils’ work regularly and thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can progress; – 3(h) utilises effective strategies for managing behaviour and encouraging pupils to act responsibly.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school- – 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently. 10 to 12 May 2022 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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